Energy

At Reactive, our research in the Energy Sector focuses on developing energy storage and conversion systems as well as producing technologies that reduce the energy requirements for chemical process systems. With a strong focus on electrochemical systems, Reactive synthesizes new materials and applies them in advanced engineering designs enabling improved performance while minimizing costs. Our Energy Sector aim is to develop technologies, products, and processes that lessen the energy requirements helping to build a sustainable society.

Energy Storage and Conversion Systems

At Reactive, we continue to strive toward advancing energy delivery systems that operate more efficiently and economically. Our research and development efforts have focused on advancing lithium batteries, proton exchange membrane and alkaline fuel cells, thermal batteries, electrolyzers, photovoltaics, and hydrogen storage systems. Some of our strengths are in developing alternative catalysts and manufacturing methods to produce these catalysts that culminate in high reaction activity per unit cost. Reactive has also synthesized and developed new membrane formulations and manufacturing systems to produce these membranes for electrochemical cells. Including novel current collector and electrode designs, these innovations in energy storage systems have culminated in compact and lightweight cells. Material synthesis of new moisture barrier coatings has also been developed for protecting photovoltaic and OLED devices.

Chemical Process Innovations

Through advanced engineering and science innovations, Reactive focuses on reducing the energy requirements used for the manufacturing of materials and products. For example, new separation processes are being developed to separate deleterious hydrogen sulfide, siloxanes, and halogenated hydrocarbons from biogas fuel streams to enable long operating lifetimes of turbine and fuel cell power generators. Similarly, a separation, purification, and production system for oxygen-18 isotopes used in cyclotron operations is being developed to enrich the isotopic content of this important isotope used in the production of radiopharmaceuticals. Novel membraneless water desalination systems are being developed that minimize the energy requirements while eliminating fouling enabling longer operational runtimes. New patented sensor technologies have been developed to assess non-destructively the chemical activity of catalytic surfaces used in electrochemical devices and for chemical commodity production. And Reactive continues to advance micro-channel reactors to improve chemical production and heat transfer operations.